fulcher



(Nomaden.) 7 sheetssheet 2.

W; H'. FULGHBR.;

EXGAVATOR'. l, No. 558,452. Patented Apr. 14, 1895.

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W. H. PULGHBR. f'

EXCAVATOR.

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(No Model.) 7 Sheets-Sheet 4.

W. H. FULGHER.

' EXGAVATOR.

No. 558,452. PaJtentedApr. 14, 1895.

AN DREW BLRAHANL PHOTo-LHMU-WASNINGTN. D C

(No Model.) 7 Sheets-Sheet 5A W. H. PULOHBR.

EXCAVATOR.

No. 558,452. Patented Apr. 14, 1896.

INVENTOR A40-Qi' 1 WITNESSES @um /Zgb ATTORNEY;

AN DREW BLRAHAM PHOTOLITHU.WASNINGTON. D C.

(No Model.) 7 Sheets-Sheet 6.

W. H. PULGHER.

@p ooo @se WITNESSES INVENTOR v Bv Y f3 l Qgamf ATTORNEYS AN DREWBvGRAHAM,PHOTD-LHMQWASHINGTDN. D C.

(No Model.) y 'z sheets-#heen 7.

W. H. FULCHER.

BXGAVATOR. Y No. 558,452. 4Padaean'ed Apr. 1-4, 1896.

wlTNEssEvs: i INVENTOR ATTORNEYS AN nREw BLRANAM. PHOTO-UmawAsmNGTDN. DE.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

NVILLIAM H. FULCHER, OF STOCKTON, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO J.JAMES TULLY, OF SAME PLACE.

EX CVATO R SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 558,452,dated April 14, 1896.

Application filed December 10, 1895. Serial No. 571,690. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern: A

Be it known that LWILLIAM H. FULCHER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Stockton, in the county of San Joaquin and State ofCalifornia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inExcavators; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear,

and exact description of said invention, such as will enable othersskilled in the art to which it most nearly appertainsto make, use7 andpractice the same.

This invention relates to improvements in excavators and moreparticularly to ditch-excavators.

The objects which this present invention has in view are primarily toraise the earth at the forward end of the machine and deliver and tainpit firmly at the rear end, carrying it over the interveningr space whereother work is being performed, and, secondarily, to provide meanswhereby this is accomplished with certainty and at the slighest eX-penditure of power.

The invention consists in the construction and arrangement of thevarious instrumentalities hereinafter set forth.

In the drawings, Figure l is a side elevation of the invention. Fig. 2is a plan view of the same. Fig. 3 is a detail in elevation of thedriving mechanism of the digging mechanism. Fig. 4 is a detail in sideelevation of the digging-knives. Fig. 5 is a front View of the same.Figs. 6 and 7 are detail views in perspective of the elevator-buckets.Fig. 8 is a detail showing the adjusting mechanism of the elevator.

For the purpose of more clearly describing the machine shown in thedrawings we will divide the various instrumentalities into groups withreference to their coperation in the performance of some particularfunction, and to the several separate parts of each group we will give ageneral distinguishing letter. Thus we will distinguish the drivingmechanism by the general letter A, the digging mechanism by the letterB, the elevator mechanism by the letter O, the conveying or deliveringmechanism by the letter D, the ramming mechanism by the letter E, andthe main frame by the letter F. Y

The digging mechanism consists in the wedge-shaped downcut-knife B andthe upcut knives B2 B2, with means for forcing the former downward anddrawing the latter upward. The means shown in the drawings consists inthe heavy screw or worm B2, the lower end of which is inserted withinthe hollow casing of the knife B, where it is provided with thecross-bar B1. The attachment between the screw and knife is by the bolts6o B2, extended from either end of the cross-bar. These bolts extendthrough the slots B7 in the sides of the knife 'B'. The screw B2 israised and lowered by the miter-gear B10, the hub of which is internallythreaded to engage the thread of the screw. The gear B10 is held inposition by the brace-rods B21,which are bolted to the bearing-platesB20 and to the horizontal beams of the main frame. The plates B20 restagainst each side of the hub of the miter 7o B25 B25 on both shafts B22,on which they are 8o loosly mounted. The face of the sprockets arehollowed out to form a seat for the conical friction-clutches B20, whichare splined on the shafts. Suitable levers, having yokes to fit in thegrooves B27 on the friction-clutches, 85

are mounted on the frame and joined to each other to cause them tocoperate. Thus by arranging the clutches as shown in the drawings atFig. 3 it will be seen that as the one clutch is thrown out ofengagement the other 9o is thrown in, and the pinions operating in thesame direction on opposite sides of the miter B19 will produce each anopposite movement in the miter from that produced by the other.

At their outer ends the shafts B23 are sup- 95 ported in boxes B28,mounted on the main frame A.

As above mentioned, there are two dierent styles of knives, B being whatwe have styled a downcut-knife, and the side knives B2, roo

which are herein styled upcut-knives. The downcut-knife is wedge-shaped,as shown at The pinions B22 75 Fig. 5, and is designed to drive downwardthrough the earth and force it away from the line of cut. For thispurpose it is provided with the shoe B15, which may be sharpened andreplaced when worn out. The frame of the knife is made up of metalplates and is hollow. The upcut-knives are hook-shaped at their cuttingends, being intended to dig forward and up. They are pivotally connectedto the downcut-knife by the pivot-bolts B1G and to the bolts B5 on thescrew B3 bythe links B1". In their coperation these downcut and upcutknives act as follows: Preliminary to starting the machine a hole of thedesired depth is dug by hand. The knives are then lowered into the holeand drawn upward. As the screw B3 starts upward the pull is firstimparted to the upcut-knives B2B2 by reason of their connection directlyto the end of the screw. The downcut-knife B does not begin to raiseuntil the bolts B5 reach the top of the slot B7. As the pull on theknives B2 B2 is exert-ed forward of their pivots B111, their points aredrawn forward and upward until the bolts B 5reach the top of the slotsB7and the knife B begins to be raised. The knives B2 B2 continue in thisposition until they are drawn out of the earth and` the direction of thescrew is reversed.` lVhen the end of the knife B strikes the ground, thebolts B5 are forced to the bottom of the slot B7 before any force isexerted on the downcut-knife B. The bolts B5, thus descending, theknives B2 are forced backward by the links BG to the positions indicatedin'dotted lines in Fig. 4 of drawings, thus clearing the front of theknife B' in the downcut. Intermediate the upcut and the downcut themachine is advanced, as will be described, the length of the upcut, sothat when theknife B descends the cutting edge thereof strikes theforward end of the ground which has been separated from the surroundingearth by the knives B2. In descending, the knife B', by reason of itswedge shape,breaks the ground up and throws it onto the buckets of theelevator. At the beginning of the raising of the screw B2, when itbecomes necessary to project the knives B2 B2, the knife B' must beprevented from raising. To accomplish this, the slots B7, wherein thebolts B5 operate, and the dogs B11 are provided. The dogs B11 aremounted between the rollers B10 in the frame constructed of theangle-irons B8 and B2. The dogs are provided on their inner ends withbrackets B12, in the end of which are friction-rollers B12, that engagethe double cams, slots B15, of the brackets B14. The brackets B11 aresecurely mounted on the sides of the screw B2, and the vertical lengthof `the slots therein is equal to the length of the slots B7, by meansof which the knife B is operated. The slots B15 operate in an outwarddirection for apart of the rise and in an inward direction for theremainder of the rise, driving the ends of the dogs B11 into the banksof the ditch and preventing the rise of the knife B during the firstpart of the stroke in which the knives B2 B2 are projected forward, andthen withdrawing the dogs to permit the knife B to rise with theextended knives B2 B2 when the bolts B5 reach the top of the slots B7.Thus it will be be seen the digging action of these knives is to iirstsever the earth from the sides and then to strike downward on thesection thus severed and cut it away in the line of the ditch to beformed, the driving mechanism being thrown intermittingly from one sideto the other of the miter B1'J to cause the screw B3 carrying the knivesto rise and fall.

As above stated, the knife B', by reason of its wedge shape, scvers theground from that in front and throws it in a segregated condition on thebuckets of the elevator mechanism, by which it is carried to theconveyingchute for delivery to the rear of the machine. The buckets Care connected by continuous chains, which operate over sprockets C2 C2at the extremities of the elevator-frame- The upper shaft, on which thebucket-sprockets are mounted, is provided with the driving sprocket C2,suitably connected with the driving mechanism of the machine. The lowershaft is supported in the suspended frame C1. On the frame of themachine is mounted the idlers C6 for ad j ust-ing the travel of thebuckets with reference to the angle of operation of the diggingmechanism. In its operation this elevator mechanism is similar to othersof the same class, with the exception of the adjusting mechanism, bywhich it is raised or lowered to suit the grades of the elevation. Thisadjusting is accomplished by means of hangings of the shafts carryingthe sprockets C2 C2. Theseshafts are mounted in suitable bearingssupported on the ends of the right and left screws C7 C7. (See Fig. S.)These screws are mounted in the end of the frame C4 and extend throughjournal-boxes C13. Between the journal-boxes C12 and the bottom of theframe C4 are mounted the miter-gears C8, enfolding each screw and meshedinto the thread thereof by an internallythreaded hub. These miters C8are propelled by the miters C9 C, which are geared with the miters C2 C,as shown. The miters C201 are rigidly mounted on the shaft C11, which isjournaled in the boxes C13 C13. This shaft is driven by the sprocket C10and chain C11. The double journals C13 C12 are bolted to the frame C4.These hangings just described are provided at either end of the frame.The sprockets C10 C1o at either end of the frame are connected by thechain C11, which engages the sprocket C12 intermediate the upper andlower sprockets. The sprocket C12 is mounted on a shaft which extendsacross the main frame of the machine and is provided at the outer endwith a suitable crank-handle or lever wherewith the operator may turnit. As the sprocket C12 is thus turned the chain C11 transmits themotion to the sprockets C10 C11 at both ends of the frame and rotatestheir shafts, carrying the gears C9 C in the same IOO IIO

IZO

fingers E2.

direction. The gears rotate the miters C8 C8, which extend or recede theends of the screws C7 C7, according as the rotation is started. Inmounting the right and left screws at the two ends of the frame careshould be taken that the right-hand screws at both ends are on the lsame side of the frame.

In some cases I provide the shaft carrying` the sprocket C12 with agraduated scale to indicate the rise or fall lof the elevator to suitthe grade on which the machine may be operating. Usually, however, thisscale cannot be used for the reason that the surface of the ground overwhich the machine is operating will not permit because of itsirregularity.

The buckets C shown are constructed in section, as shown in Figs. 6 and'7, to allow for lateral adjustment to suit the various dimen sions ofdifferent ditches. These sections are bolted together, the bolts passingthrough the perforations c.

As the earth is thrown into the buckets they convey it upward anddeliver it upon the chute D, which is built upon a skeleton frameworkmounted on wheels D. The chute D leads over that section of the workwhere the pipe or sewer is being laid or built and delivers it into theexcavation. The chute is detachable from the main frame A of themachine. Near the lower end of the chute the bottom is cut away topermit the insertion of the paddles of the wheel E of t-he rammingmechanism. The shaft of the wheel E is provided with ingers E2, set outfrom the shaft and adapted to extend under the yoke E3 at the top of thetamp E1. The 'tamp E1 is mounted in guides E5, which are suspended onthe braces E6 from the frame of the chute D. The tamp E4 is providedwith the rammerhead E1. In its action the dirt running down the chutestrikes the paddles of the wheel E to turn it to operate the shaftcarrying the The fingers strike under the yoke E3 on the end of thetamp, raising the tamp until the linger passes from under the yoke, whenthe tamp is allowed to drop. In this manner the earth is rammed at abouthalfway of the depth of the ditch, so that the surface -or hand rammingis rendered easier. These several mechanisms are driven from a commondriving mechanism ,which also serves as a traction-motor.

The initial source of the power is derived from a gas-engine A', on thedriving-shaft of which is the driving-gear A2, meshed into the gear A3.The gear A3 is loosely mounted on its shaft and is controlled by thecone-shaped friction-clutch A4 to rotate the shaft or independentlythereof. lUpon the outer ends of the shaft are the sprockets A5 A6, alsoloosely mounted on the shaft and controlled by the clutches A7 and A8.rThese elements constitute the traction driving mechanism, as thesprockets A5 and A'i are connected to the driving traction-wheels A16and A17, respectively. In operation the clutch A4 is seated hard againstthe gear A3, causing it to turn the shaft on which it is 'mounted Thenthe drums A7 and A8 are both engaging their respective sprockets and theshaft is turned, the power is transmitted to the traction-wheels A16 andA1T to drive the machine along. If it is desired to turn the machine,one of the clutches A1 or A3 is released, when its sprocket ceases todrive, andthe traction-wheel on its side becomes a pivoton which themachine will turn. To produce a reverse movement of this drivingtraction mechanism the supplemental shaft, carrying the gears A9 looselymounted thereon, is mounted on the frame and provided with the sprocketsA10 A10, which are connected with the sprockets A11 A11 on the mainshaft. The gear A9 is provided with a clutch A18, similar inconstruction and action to A4, for the purpose of rotating the shaft.Vith this gearing the traction may be reversed by releasing the clutchA4 and setting the clutch A18, when the direction of rotation of themain shaft will be reversed. Thus the traction may be controlled to movethe machine slightly ahead to turn in either direction or reverse. mainshaft are the sprocket-wheels A12 A12, which are connected by chains A19A19 to the sprockets A13 A13 on the driving-shafts for the screw B3. Thesprocket A2O on the main shaft -is connected to t-he sprocket A21 on thesupplemental shaft carrying the sprockets A14 A11, which in turntransmit power to the sprockets C2 C2 of the elevator.

- The forward end of the frame is carried on the rollers A15 A15. Whenthe machine is to be transported, the screw'B3 is raised until theknives clear the ground. There it is held, or it may be disconnectedfrom the knives and raised out of the miter B19. The elevatorframe C1 isunclamped and the lower end raised and extended level with the ground ona separate truck. The chute-frame is preferably disconnected and themachine is ready for transportation.

No description has been made in this speciication of any special leverfor throwing in and out of engagement the various clutches, for thereason that I use any known construetion.

Having thus described this invention, what I claim is-- l. In anexcavator such as described the combination, with a digging mechanismadapted to separate the earth from the sides then to out it away from infront, of an elevator mechanism to catch the earth when cut from infront and convey it to a raised eleva tion, a chute to receive the earthfrom the elevator at vthe raised elevation and deliver it to a desiredpoint, and a ramming mechanism having a paddle-wheel extending into thesaid chute to lift and drop a tamp, substantially as described.

2. In an excavator such as described and in the digging mechanismthereof the combination of a wedge-shaped knife adapted to cut downward,with side knives pivotally connected to the wedge-shaped knife andadapted Upon the' IOO IIO

to swing forward and cut upward, a rod carrying the said knives to raiseand depress them, and intermediate connections between the said rod andside knives to force the said side knives forward of the saidwedge-shaped knife prior to raising the latter, substantially asdescribed.

3. In an excavator' such as described and in the digging mechanismthereof the combination of a wedge-shaped knife adapted to cut downward,with side knives pivotally connected to the wedge-shaped knife andadapted to swing forward and cut upward, a screw carrying the saidknives to raise and depress them, intermediate connections between thesaid screw and side knives to force them forward of the saidwedge-shaped knife prior to raising the latter, and a driving mechanismhaving an internally-threaded wheel to engage the threads of the saidscrew to raise and lower the same, substantially as described.

4. In an excavator such as described and in the digging mechanismthereof the combination of a wedge-shaped knife adapted to cut downward,with side knives pivotally connected to the said wedge-shaped knife andadapted to swing forward and cut upward, a screw carrying the saidknives to raise and depress them, intermediate connections be.

tween the said screw and side knives to force them forward of the saidwedge-shapedknife prior to raising the latter, dogs set in thewedge-shaped knife, cams on the said screw to throw the said dogs intothe bank and withdraw them during the first part of the rise of the saidscrew, and driving mechanism to engage the threads of the saidscrew toraise and lower the same, substantially as described.

5. In an excavator such as described and in the elevator mechanismthereof the combination with a series of elevator-buckets joinedtogether to form an endless chain, drivingwheels to propel the saidchain of buckets, a frame to support the said driving-wheels,intermediate extensible connections between the said frame anddriving-wheels at both ends of the frame and connecting devices betweenthe extensible connections to cause them to operate in unison,substantially as described.

G. In an excavator such as described and in the elevator mechanismthereof the combination with a series of elevator-buckets joinedtogether to form an endless chain, drivingwheels to propel the saidchain of buckets, a frame to support the said driving-wheels,screw-shafts intermediate the said drivingwheels and frame at both ends,driving-gears to raise and lower the said screw-shafts, and suitableconnecting devices to operate the said driving-gears in unison,substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand, this 26th day ofNovember, 1895, at Stockton, in the county of San Joaquin and State ofCalifornia.

WILLIAM II. FULCIIER.

IVitliesses A. I-I. ASHLEY, C. XV. NORTON.

